


Haunting

by slow-smiles (the_irish_mayhem)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Belle Gets Her Agency Back, Canon Compliant, Female-Centric, Fix-It, Gen, POV Female Character, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 20:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5019613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_irish_mayhem/pseuds/slow-smiles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle confronts Regina about taking her heart in Camelot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Haunting

**Author's Note:**

> A bit of a response to the unsatisfactory spoilers about Belle “not knowing” Regina took her heart, which is utter BS. Takes place nebulously around 5x02 or 5x03.

There was a time when Belle would have done anything to be a hero. She would’ve given anything to be able to go on heroic adventures and have her story become a legend, have it written down to inspire people long after she was gone from the world.

Now, though, she finds that she can’t quite swallow  _anything_  to be a hero.

She’s alone with Regina in Merlin’s library. Snow and Charming had left to put themselves and little Neal to bed, and gods only know where Emma and Killian have gone off to.

(She tries to forget seeing her heart in Will’s hands.

Tries to forget Rumple telling her Regina did it to hurt him.

Tries to reconcile the heart-ripping Regina with the one in front of her now.)

The clatter of the castle barely touches them in the high tower where Merlin’s books are kept, so the quiet, crisp flipping of book pages is the only sound.

Belle looks up every few minutes to find Regina tagging pages with bookmarks bearing nonsensical symbols--sometimes question marks or a rare exclamation point, and once in a while a random combination of numbers and letters Belle doesn’t want to even begin to try to decipher.

She’s almost startled out of her skin when Regina finally speaks. “Look at this one,” she says. “It sounds promising.” But as the sorceress moves to set the book down, her eyes widen, and she snatches the tome back into her hands. “Nevermind,” she says, quickly flipping to the next spell.

Belle’s brow furrows. Odd. “What was that one?” she asks, standing. They’ve been searching for hours with not even a glimmer of a distant answer. If Regina thinks that this one seemed promising, Belle is sure they can find a way to make it work.

“Look, it’s not an option. We need to keep looking.”

“Well, why not?” Belle asks. “Can I at least see the spell?”

“It’s in Archaic Elvish.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m fluent.”

Regina swallows. “You don’t have magic. You won’t even know what you’re looking at.”

“I don’t have magic, but I lived with the Dark One. I know plenty.”

(The Dark One who ripped plenty of hearts out in his day, but never  _hers_ , and it was never to hurt anyone she loved, it was never to use her as a pawn in a game she never agreed to play--)

Regina looks tempted to draw the book away, to hide the dusty tome’s answers away against her chest, but a breath later her hands relax and she hands the spellbook to Belle

Belle flips to the page Regina had been studying moments ago. It’s written in heavy, calligraphic script and the paper is brittle with age. The unfaded ink is soaked deep into the parchment and reeks of preservation charms (and Belle feels a heavy dose of curiosity and fascination bloom within her at how old this book must be.)

_Snáigh Trøg Delai_

_Casting of the Abandoned?_

No, not quite.

“Spell of the Separated,” Belle breathes. “This enchantment allows for... listening to those whose tongue no longer matches our own.” She reads a little further on the spell’s description, feeling herself start to smile. “Regina, we can make this work. We might need to alter a few ingredients to make it suit our purposes, but--”

Regina interrupts harshly, “Did you even read the ingredients?” Bell shoots her a look, and the former Evil Queen seems to realize her tone. She takes a breath before she says, somewhat less harsh but no less heated, “Look at the things that are absolutely required to even _lay the groundwork_  for the spell.”

Belle’s eyes return to the page, and the first item on the list gives her the answer.

_Clogh Trøg Haîn._

There was no issue translating that one.  _Heart of the Innocent._

(The red of her heart glowing, the thought of Regina using it to manipulate Rumple, no matter how angry she is at him, how hurt she is because of him--)

She can’t keep her next words from slipping past her teeth, “You’ve had no problem taking hearts in the past.”

Regina looks almost scandalized, and Belle knows that it’s--

She’d never condone taking a heart. They  _both_  know that.

“Aside from the fact that spells calling for an innocent heart almost always require a child’s heart, I’m--” she cuts herself off, and Belle watches as her left hand clenches once. Twice. “I’m trying to be better.”

Belle does some fist clenching of her own. “Then  _why_ , Regina? I’m not blind, I know you’re not the Evil Queen anymore. You’re not the same woman who locked me away to punish Rumple, so I just-- Why did you take my heart? You could’ve just  _asked_  for my help.”

“You never would’ve helped me.”

“No?”

“ _No_ , because it meant manipulating the man you love and because of what I did to you.”

“Regina, I forgave you for that a long time ago.”

“You--you did? Why?” The latter question seems to slip out without Regina’s permission.

“Because holding onto my anger wasn’t worth it,” she answers honestly, “I didn’t forgive you for your sake. It was for mine. I always hoped that you’d... I always hoped that you’d try to seek forgiveness. I hoped that when you started showing that you wanted to change, you’d at least  _try_.”

The silence of Merlin’s library is heavy, and Belle refuses to drop her gaze while Regina can’t quite meet it.

“I’m sorry,” she eventually says. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t,” Regina admits. “You’re a hero, you’ve never had to  _change_  like this. All I can give are empty words that no one believes I can back up. When Snow apologizes to someone, they fall at her feet. Their pure princess, their perfect hero. When I try, it’s like--” Regina swallows. “It’s like no one believes in me.”

“I know that’s not true. Look at Robin. And Snow, and David. Emma would never have given you the dagger if she didn’t trust you.” Belle hesitates only slightly before she adds, “And I believe in you.”

Regina very nearly laughs. “I knew you were a forgiving woman when you married Gold, but I have a hard time believing that.”

And maybe Regina’s right to not believe her. Belle won’t admit the anger and hurt still simmers below the surface, but she knows she’s not going to get rid of those toxic feelings unless she tries. There’s a long pause before Belle answers, “You think I’m naive.”

Regina’s silence is enough of an indicator.

“I know that’s what you think. You somehow think that my forgiving you means I don’t understand well enough. You probably hold it against me that I’m married to the man who played a large role in making you the Evil Queen.” Regina finally meets her gaze, and Belle doesn’t flinch. “Goodness isn’t simply moving on, handing out apologies where you deem fit.”

“Belle--”

“That’s not what you’re doing, I know. You’re trying to do better, and to be the person we need you to be. To me, goodness means understanding that your actions have consequences. You might put on the Evil Queen mask to achieve your means, but understand it for what it is. A mask. Don’t let it change you from what you’re becoming.”

“I’m not planning on it.” The answer is curt, brief.

Belle is certain Regina didn’t like all of her words, but she’s been holding them in for far too long.

“I am sorry,” Regina adds again, and Belle can read the sincerity there.

She smiles at the older woman, but her next words are icy, “If you take my heart again, or try to use me to hurt someone I love ever again, my forgiveness won’t be so forthcoming. I lived in the Dark One’s castle. I know plenty of ways to make magical beings bleed.”

She doesn’t keep her eyes on Regina to see her response.

It’s not perfect. It’s not a hand-wrapped, photo-album version of apology and forgiveness, but it’s exactly what she needed.

“Bookworm has teeth,” Regina comments, and the cadence of respect coating the familiar words makes Belle smile.


End file.
